Mastering the PPR – Punchy Press Release
We may work in the world of PR, meaning ‘Public Relations’, but one of the most common abbreviations we find ourselves using is ‘PR’ itself, but instead for the term ‘press release.’ And in short, a press release is a form of communication, announcing a news story, such as a partnership, product announcement or appointment to the public, which is then sent to journalists or media publishers.
But when distributing a press release, it can sometimes go unnoticed if it hasn’t been articulated in an engaging way. However, this doesn’t always have to be the case – and there are ways to make a press release punchy for the reader by embedding three key tactics.
1. Headline
In order for someone to read your client’s news story, you need to ensure that the headline is eye-catching. This means that it should tick all three boxes:
- Short and punchy (No more than 15 words)
- Summarises the message of the press release
- Embed action words
It’s important that the headline of the press release conveys the point of the story and shows relevance, whilst still being timely, so should be written in the present tense. To make it even more engaging, you should include any key statistics or figures from the release if they are available, to highlight significant findings. This will make the reader want to find out more about the news, without giving too much away in the headline.
2. Answering Key Questions
Who? What? When? Where? Why? How? If the press release doesn’t provide these answers, the news probably wasn’t worth writing about. When writing a press release, it’s crucial to place yourself in the shoes of a journalist and think about the type of questions and details that they’ll consider when reading the press release. For example, if we’re writing about a new product launch, who is the target audience, what issues does it solve and when and where is it available?
3. A Good and Personal Quote
No press release is finished without including a quote from the company the news is coming from. But there’s no point in saying the same thing again. This is the opportunity to add a personal and engaging touch to the news story. Whether the quote is coming from the CEO, CMO, CFO, or an expert in the company, this is the opportunity to add some depth to the release. This could be through adding some market context, some brand information or humanising the quote by bringing emotion to the story.
If your business is launching a new product, service, or has an exciting news story to share via the format of a press release, why not get in touch with the experts at Neo PR to help you craft and distribute your story? You can reach the team at prworks@neopr.co.uk
